EarlyWord

The authors of a new book about undergraduate education assert,

Growing numbers of students are sent to college at increasingly higher costs, but for a large proportion of them the gains in critical thinking, complex reasoning, and written communication are either exceedingly small or empirically nonexistent.

Unsurprisingly, the book, Academically Adrift, has been drawing attention since it was released on Tuesday. It is currently at #22 on Amazon’s sales rankings and is not owned by most major public libraries. An excerpt  appeared earlier this week in the Chronicle of Higher Education under the headline, Are Undergraduates Actually Learning Anything? It’s being picked up by news sources

Study: One-Third of Students Don’t Learn Much in College CBS MoneyWatch.com

The Choice: How Much Do College Students Learn, and Study? New York Times (blog)

Study: Students slog through college, but don’t gain much critical thinking, Seattle Times

The value of college, The Economist (blog)

Guest post: ‘Academically Adrift,’ indeed, Washington Post (blog)

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses Richard Arum, Josipa Roksa Retail Price: $25.00 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: University Of Chicago Press – (2011-01-15) ISBN / EAN: 0226028569 / 9780226028569

The roar is building for one of the major book-to-film adaptations of 2011, The Eagle (based on Rosemary Sutcliffe’s 1954 ALA Notable Children’s book, The Eagle of the Ninth).

How do we know it’s major? It’s among the films that will be promoted on the SuperBowl broadcast.

Directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play), starring Channing Tatum as Marcus Aquila, the movie is scheduled to open on February 11.

Among the new material now available on the film’s web site, FindtheEagle.com, is a behind-the-scenes video.

Tie-in:

The Eagle of the Ninth (The Roman Britain Trilogy) Rosemary Sutcliff Retail Price: $8.99 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Square Fish – (2010-11-09) ISBN / EAN: 0312644299 / 9780312644291

The Edgar Nominees have just been announced. We’re cheering to see one of our favorites of the year, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin as one of the six nominees for Best Novel.

Sherlock Holmes for Dummies is one of the nominees for “Best Critical/Biographical.”

The full list is here. The awards will be presented on 4/28/11.

Sherlock Holmes For Dummies Steven Doyle, David A. Crowder Retail Price: $19.99 Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Wiley/For Dummies – (2010-03-22) ISBN / EAN: 0470484446 / 9780470484449

Discussion of Amy Chua’s approach to mothering, as she describes it in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother continues unabated.

In today’s NYT, Janet Maslin, who actually read the entire book (rather than just the WSJ except, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior“) comes to an unexpected conclusion,

In truth, Ms. Chua’s memoir is about one little narcissist’s book-length search for happiness. And for all its quotable outbursts from Mama Grisly (the nickname was inevitable), it will gratify the same people who made a hit out of the granola-hearted Eat, Pray, Love.

According to Maslin, the two share an obsessive fascination with self. She also points out that, by the end of her book, the Tiger Mom has softened,

But Ms. Chua’s story has been shaped according to a familiar narrative arc, the one that ensures that her comeuppance will occur, that her children will prove wiser than she and [she will] fess up to shortcomings (“the truth is I’m not good at enjoying life”) and smell the roses at the end of the book.

The Today Show can’t get enough of her; they’re planning a second appearance, and are gathering questions for her on the site right now.

The book appears at #5 on the 1/30/11 NYT Nonfiction list, after just five days on sale (the list reflects sales through 1/15).

If you’ve been on the fence about buying more, it’s time to get off. This one won’t end soon.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Amy Chua Retail Price: $25.95 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The – (2011-01-11) ISBN / EAN: 1594202842 / 9781594202841

Penguin Audio; UNABR; 6 Hours; 5 CDs; ISBN 9780142429105; $29.95

Author Ben Mezrich’s book, Accidental Billionaires, was the basis for the movie The Social Network, which is not only a success at the box office, but just won Golden Globes for best drama, best director and best writer (for the screenplay by Aaron Sorkin). It is also surrounded by Oscar buzz.

The production team that put together Social Network has turned its attention Mezrich’s next book, Sex on the Moon, coming in July. According to the L.A. Times, it is,

…the story of Thad Roberts, a once-promising young scientist working for NASA who back in 2004 hatched a crazy plan to steal highly prized moon rocks from his bosses at the Johnson Space Center and sell them on the Internet. The motivation: wanting to impress his girlfriend (i.e., “giving her the moon”).

The L.A. Times wrote about the heist in 2004.

Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History Ben Mezrich Retail Price: $26.95 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Doubleday – (2011-07-12) ISBN / EAN: 0385533926 / 9780385533928

It’s encouraging to learn that Dr. Laura Schlessinger, who once attacked the ALA’s bill of rights, is now a proponent of free expression (at least for herself). On the Today Show, she told Matt Lauer that she moved her radio show to Sirius XM, because various organizations had decided,

… that I should be silenced. And that’s when I realized I had to go on Sirius XM or something like that in order to have the freedom of speech without being assassinated.

On Salon Laura Miller looks into the incident that sparked the move, “The Revenge of Dr. Laura Schlessinger.”

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Despite Dr. Laura’s continuing stance against the ALA, libraries are not exacting revenge. The ones we checked have ordered her book, but holds are modest.

Surviving a Shark Attack (On Land): Overcoming Betrayal and Dealing with Revenge Dr. Laura Schlessinger Retail Price: $25.99 Hardcover: 208 pages Publisher: Harper – (2011-01-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061992127 / 9780061992124

The new novel about the current president and his 2012 re-election campaign is no Primary Colors, according to USA Today‘s review.

In the Washington Post, reviewer Ron Charles says it “isn’t as good as you hoped or as bad as you feared.” He compares the book unfavorably to others, saying it,

…has none of the snazzy wit of Joe Klein’s briefly anonymous novel about the Clinton campaign, or the grandeur of Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men, or the pathos of Ethan Canin’s America America.

The USA Today critic also jumps in to what “has become a parlor game for the capital’s underemployed and a topic for news outlets as far-flung as The Guardian in London and Le Figaro in France” (USA Today). In fact, “Obama novel” is among the “hot topics” listed on the Washington Post‘s Web site.

Most libraries are showing modest holds in line with ordering.

O: A Presidential Novel Anonymous Retail Price: $25.99 Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: Simon & Schuster – (2011-01-25) ISBN / EAN: 1451625960 / 9781451625967

The Washington Post announced that, beginning January 23, it will publish a separate tabloid-size Sunday “Style “section. Among the new features will be “pop-culture book reviews.”

The new coverage will not affect book news and criticism in the “Outlook” section (Quill & Quire, 1/18/11).

We’re looking forward to seeing what they mean by “pop-culture.”

The Washington Post angered book lovers in 2009, when they closed down the stand-alone Sunday “Book World” section.

Counting on a Golden Globe win to bring attention to the movie The King’s Speech, which was released in just a few theaters in December, the Weinstein Co. expanded it nationwide last Friday. The gamble paid off. Colin Firth won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and the film did “impressive business” (Hollywood Reporter, 1/17/11) over the MLK weekend.

In the UK, it has been a surprise instant hit, attracting customers who have not been to the cinema in over a decade (Guardian, 1/18/11).

Oscar buzz has been attached to the film for a while; now, see it as the competition for best picture against the Social Network.

The movie is not based on a book, but a book by Logue’s grandson and co-writer, British journalist Peter Conradi, was recently published as a tie-in. USA Today writes about the book’s genesis in the current issue.

Libraries are showing heavy holds on modest orders.

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The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy Mark Logue, Peter Conradi Retail Price: $14.95 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Sterling – (2010-11-26) ISBN / EAN: 140278676X / 9781402786761

S&S continues to throw catnip to the press about a book coming out next week, O: A Presidential Novel. Last week, word began to spread about this anonymous novel, based on scraps of information (The Week, wraps up speculation on who might have written it, the most wacky being Obama himself).

Today, S&S Publisher, Jonathan Karp sent a message to journalists, with links to the book’s just unveiled Web site, and a request,

You may be asked to comment on whether or not you are the author.  If so, it would be great if you refrained from commenting, in solidarity with the principle that a book should be judged on its content and not on the perceived ideology of its author.

I received  the message, too, but not to worry. Unless the book is riddled with typos, I don’t expect anyone will be asking me. However, a librarian could be behind this; an excerpt describes a Sarah Palin type as “flaunting that whole lusty librarian thing“.

The first to bite is Slate‘s David Weigel (who made a reputation as a conservative reporter and blogger at the Washington Post, but left after his criticisms of other conservatives in the media were revealed). Contrary to Karp’s request, he wants everyone to know he did NOT write the book, citing an excerpt as filled with cliches, which, he says, means it is probably by an “escaped young adult fiction writer.”

OK, YALSA, it’s your turn — comment here.

The cover of the book is now available. Since last week, large libraries we checked have ordered the book in modest quantities, with some holds building.

O: A Presidential Novel Anonymous Retail Price: $25.99 Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: Simon & Schuster – (2011-01-25) ISBN / EAN: 1451625960 / 9781451625967

When NYT columnist David Brooks feels compelled to veer away from political commentary to weigh in on a book about child rearing, you know things have become a little nutty.

In today’s column, he calls “Tiger Mother” Amy Chua a “wimp.” Chua insists on her kids practicing music for hours and denies them sleepovers. Brooks asserts that the tougher activity is the sleepover because,

Managing status rivalries, negotiating group dynamics, understanding social norms, navigating the distinction between self and group — these and other social tests impose cognitive demands that blow away any intense tutoring session or a class at Yale.

Debates about Chua’s book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, are springing up all over the Web (see, for instance, the NYT ‘s “Room for Debate“).

Chua’s book tour begins in California tonight. It should be lively.

Tuesday, Jan 18
VROMAN’S BOOKSTORE
Pasadena, CA

Wednesday, Jan 19
BOOKSMITH
San Francisco, CA

Thursday, Jan 20
KPFA-FM
Berkeley, CA

Friday, Jan 21
ELLIOTT BAY BOOK COMPANY
Seattle, WA

Tuesday, Feb 15
BARNES & NOBLE
North Haven, CT

Thursday, Feb 17
PRINTERS ROW
Chicago, IL

Friday, Feb 18
POLITICS & PROSE
Washington, DC

Holds are mounting quickly for Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. An excerpt in the WSJ last week, with the challenging headline, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” (one the author disavows) was an immediate sensation. The Journal is adding fuel to the fire with several follow-up pieces:

• In Defense of the Western Mom; Ayelet Waldman on the virtues of letting kids quit, have sleepovers and find their own way. (By the way, Waldman herself was “crushed” by the criticism of her own parenting style after her 2005 NYT essay in which she said she loves her husband more than her children).

• The Tiger Mother Talks Back

• Readers Roar: What Makes a Good Parent

• Scene Asia: Chinese Mothers React

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Amy Chua Retail Price: $25.95 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The – (2011-01-11) ISBN / EAN: 1594202842 / 9781594202841

Penguin Audio; UNABR; 6 Hours; 5 CDs; ISBN 9780142429105; $29.95

If you lived through the 80’s, you may remember televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Their son, Jay, is now a pastor himself, but with a very different approach. He writes about his beliefs in his book Fall to Grace and was interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered (listen here) on Saturday.

Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self & Society Jay Bakker Retail Price: $19.99 Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: FaithWords – (2011-01-12) ISBN / EAN: 0446539503 / 9780446539500

If you need a reminder of who the Bakkers were, the Jan. 12th Today Show gave a quick history prior to Matt Lauer’s interview with Jay.

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In USA Today, Carol Memmott says the “moody atmospherics” of Erin Kelly’s debut psychological thriller, The Poison Tree will appeal to fans of fans of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.

The Poison Tree: A Novel Erin Kelly Retail Price: $26.95 Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books – (2011-01-06) ISBN / EAN: 0670022403 / 9780670022403

Thorndike; Large Print; April; ISBN 9781410436313; $30.99

We’ve been quoting the debut novel Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown for a while. The sisters’ motto is “There is no problem a library card can’t solve.”

It comes with a good pedigree. Its editor, Amy Einhorn, also brought us The Help and The Postmistress. Booklist says it exhibits “no false steps.”

Arriving today, it gets a stellar review from Janet Maslin. The three sisters’ father is a Shakespearean scholar who insists that the family continually quote the bard. Maslin calls this a gimmick, but one that works.

There are times when the sisters are exasperated by the burden imposed on them. “Sometimes we had the overwhelming urge to grab our father by the shoulders and shake him until the meaning of his obtuse quotations fell from his mouth like loosened teeth,” they say. Readers may sometimes feel similarly about Ms. Brown but more often appreciate the good sense and good humor that keep her story buoyant. She does have storytelling talent. Or, to quote one of the Weird Sisters quoting you-know-who: “This is a gift that I have; simple, simple.

The Weird Sisters Eleanor Brown Retail Price: $24.95 Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam – (2011-02-17) ISBN / EAN: 0399157220 / 9780399157226

Penguin Audio; 9780142428948

Thorndike Large Print; May; ISBN 9781410437051; $30.99.